Vendetta: Mafia's Deadly Game

2003: A Burnt House

[Noel's Pov]

[The Amethyst Diamond Casino]

[The same gambling night]

Every passing moment was getting heavier for me because I had never been in someone's identity for so long. Apparently, I was smiling and looking at everyone. But inside, I was afraid of being caught. And I have no interest in becoming an identity thief.

“Well then allow us Mr. Moretti and Mr. Corleone,” Thomas said, watching Lily and Emma return from the casino basement.

Thomas gave Emma a signal, to which she bowed her head slightly and walked out. Before leaving the Casino, he took an in-depth look at me and said, “Tell Mr. Daniel we're going to raise the curtains very soon.”

And I started smiling and trying to understand him. After today's meeting, I had only one job; Decoding this code language. Otherwise, it will be too late after the curtains rise. After leaving the casino, I stood on the side of the road for a while, hoping that Mr. Daniel's driver would come to pick me up as he came to drop me off.

I stood there for five minutes because Thomas also followed me out of the casino, and I had to pretend, so he wouldn't get suspicious. At least Marcus had to. I started watching every passing vehicle. The chill of the night was now at its peak. I looked at the time on the watch on my wrist, and it was 12 o'clock at midnight.

I felt that someone's eyes were fixed on me somewhere far away. But due to darkness, I could not see anything. Exhausted, I gave up and turned back to find another way home. But at the same time, I heard a black Mercedes honking.

My footsteps stopped just then because I recognized the sound of the horn. I turned around and saw that it was the same car in which I had come to the casino. However, instead of stopping at me, it went ahead. As the window of the car was slightly down, it did not take me a moment to recognize the person sitting inside. And his name, “Daniel Hernandez,” escaped my lips.

It wasn't that I would be surprised to see Daniel Hernandez driving down the road alone at 12 o'clock in the midnight. No, not at all. But I was very surprised to see his car standing next to Thomas Martin's car. My steps automatically began to rise in that direction.

I started taking steps prudently. I was at some distance when I noticed that the door of Thomas's car was open, and he was sitting inside Daniel's car. After that, my curiosity increased even more. Because Thomas said to me, “We're going to raise the curtains very soon.”

Then why did he choose to sit in his car? Reporting to me meant that I had to convey to Daniel whatever had happened at the casino because they wouldn't be able to meet in person. So what does that mean? Two lines appeared on my forehead as new questions began to arise in my mind one after another.

It had only two meanings. Either there is something that Thomas wanted to tell Daniel directly, or Thomas has become…….suspicious……but…..when and how? I did very well acting as Marcus. Then how did you know? And this wasn't the first time I had done it. Impersonating another person was my left-hand game.

I was very cautiously walking towards their car to get a glimpse of what was going on inside. As the car was parked in the dark at night, I was sure they wouldn't see me.

“What happened to the drug dealing case?” I heard Daniel say.

“The job is done, boss.” Thomas replied reassuringly.

“How long will the packages be delivered?” Daniel asked the question.

“Very soon, the Moretti and Corleone family will be responsible for this work. As soon as they send the parcel to America, we will receive our payment.” Thomas said reassuringly.

“Hmmmm! The whole thing went smoothly, didn't anyone doubt you?” Daniel asked with narrow eyes.

“Apparently, no one suspected, but there were hiccups.” Thomas looked carefully at someone in front of him.

“Hiccups?” This word slipped out of my mouth softly.

“Who was that?” Daniel turned his gaze to the rearview mirror and watched every passing car.

“I've asked Emma to look into it. I'll let you know as soon as I find out.” Thomas said in his firm voice.

“Don't tell me, just kill him. I don't want any interruption in my business anymore.” Daniel ordered. “The police are always waiting for drug dealers like us. Before they take any action, you should cripple them.”

“Don't worry, boss,” Thomas said reassuringly. “He was not a policeman or a professional spy. Rather, he was a common thief who didn't even do his homework properly.”

Common thief? Me? My ears started turning red due to anger. How dare this corrupt pig call me a thief? And I didn't do the homework, right? How? I have been following them for many years. Then how did he doubt me? Along with tension and anger, my anxiety level was also increasing. Because no one has caught me until now. I closed my lips so tightly that my mustache fell on the ground. I quickly bent down and picked them up and started cleaning the mud on them. Suddenly, my eyes fell on the wing mirror of the car.

Daniel was staring at me through the wing mirror. But the real reason for my fear was his red eyes, which were looking at me like a sign of danger in the darkness of the black night. It must be delusional, I thought. I raised my dirty hands to rub my eyes and then looked back. But it was not an illusion of mine, but a real danger, and exactly how big it was difficult to estimate.

I was filled with fear as I stood there observing his car speeding, by me creating a swirling cloud of dust. It wasn't until I caught a glimpse of his eyes that I realized I had to take action. I had no clue when Thomas had even gotten out of his car. As I watched him drive off, my thoughts began to race. I quickly threw away the mustache that I was holding and hurriedly flagged down a taxi, indicating the direction in which he had gone.

“Hurry up and chase that black Mercedes.” I directed the taxi driver, sat down without looking at him.

“Ok boss,” he said and drove off. My mind was still drawn to those red eyes.

His fast-moving car had now taken the highway road. Where will it go now? On the one hand, my mind was telling me not to go there and on the other hand, those eyes were printed somewhere in the corner of my mind, maybe forever.

“Sir, if you had to go to another city, you would have taken the bus. Why did you point to my taxi?” I ignored him. But, he was right, with the speed Daniel was going, it looked like he was going to stop in another city.

“Stop…. Stop…. Stop… Just stop right here,” I shouted at once. Daniel's car stopped in front of an old building. I quickly gave the money to the taxi driver and came out.

I got out of the taxi a little distance from Daniel and started watching his every movement. As soon as he went inside the building, I also moved to the same side and stopped and started reading the name of the building. Which could not be seen clearly due to rust, but could definitely be read.

Gab…. Gabriel.....that's someone's name that I read somewhere but where. I started thinking. I stood near the building and looked carefully at it from outside. Gabriel Jose..... Yes, I read this name in an article. It means it is not a building but someone's house. Gabriel Jose's house.

This house was quite popular in those days. By looking at the condition of its black walls, even today, one can guess how terrible the fire that broke out here in 2003 would be. And that arsonist was none other than Gabriel Jose's own 5-year-old son. So what is Daniel doing here? As far as I know, his father died before his birth and Mrs. Linda raised him alone, so where did this father come from now? I mean in 2003. Who knows, maybe he came here like that. I said, suppressing my thoughts, and entered the house.

As soon as I entered, my eyes widened in surprise. This house is not as big on the outside as it is on entering. Can't believe a 5-year-old kid can destroy a house as big as a palace. Alas! It was built so magnificently, but now it only became a haunted palace, just like in the movies. And now where will I find Daniel? I was walking slowly because of the fallen leaves and broken glass on the ground, so that he wouldn't realize I was here. Even after 20 years, the air still smelled of burning and smoke, and an eerie silence surrounded it.

I threw my neck back and looked up at the ceiling. The half attached chandelier could fall at any time and kill anyone. I kept moving forward with my heart racing in my chest. Due to the countless rooms in this palace, it was difficult to predict which room Daniel would be in and what he would be doing. I looked at the time on the watch on my wrist, and it was 3 o'clock in the morning.

I felt the same eyes on me here which I felt outside the casino, but I didn't see anyone here either. Rather, who else could be in this haunted shell except me and Daniel, and why would he stare at me from afar? But my guess proved wrong. Besides me and Daniel, there were many other people who were tied with chains. And the surprise was that all were girls.

I quickly took out my phone and started counting the number of these innocent girls while hiding behind the wall. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…..27, 28, 29……. My eyes widened in surprise when the count stopped at 50. Means 50 girls were kidnapped by him. “This son of b***h,” I gritted my teeth in anger.

Suddenly, my eyes fell on Emily standing there, whose disappearance news had come recently. The marks of wounds on her body were reflecting her life in prison. The girls belonged to different ages, colors, and races who were subjected to this torture together. One of them saw a thin wire falling on the ground, which she quickly picked up and desperately started to open the lock on her foot chain. Little did she know that there was only a lock between her life and death, whose click would decide the fate of her breath.